Telangana government to approach Supreme Court on BC 42% quota in local bodies

Hyderabad: The Telangana government decided to approach the Supreme Court to secure approval for implementing 42 percent reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies. The decision came after the High Court stayed GO 9 and the local body election notification.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, TPCC President Mahesh Kumar Goud, AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, and Supreme Court advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi held a detailed Zoom meeting on Friday. They discussed the High Court’s stay order and agreed to file a petition before the Supreme Court without delay.

Telangana BC 42% quota policy under legal review

During the meeting, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy reiterated that his government remains fully committed to granting 42 percent reservation to BCs in local bodies. He said the government would not conduct local body elections until it secured legal clarity on the reservation issue. Ministers earlier confirmed that the administration aims to achieve constitutional protection for the new BC quota before any election schedule.

High Court ruling and next steps

The High Court cited a previous Supreme Court judgment that restricted total reservations to 50 percent in local body elections. It stayed GO 9, which introduced the enhanced BC quota, and directed the state to clarify its legal position.

In response, the State Election Commission sought an explanation from the government about the reservation formula. Meanwhile, the cabinet plans to meet next week to finalise further action. Officials are preparing documents to move the Supreme Court and defend the state’s decision on the Telangana BC 42% quota.